Friendo #1 (Vault): I&N Demand “What business is it of yours” why I’m interested in this book, Friendo? Playin’, B. Yet another fun idea from Vault Comics! I’ve got my good eye on the artist, Martin Simmonds. (He happens to be working with main-man Monty Nero on Death Sentence: Liberty, which I’ve happily backed on Kickstarter–and which should be out soon! Yay! Until then-o, of course, I’ll try-o Friendo.) Let’s see what kind of magic he’s got goin’ on with Alex Paknadel, who, for me, is an unknown quantity. But the prospect of a VR BFF goin’ all 5150’s got me giggling back a few decades to the glorious sigh-fi flick Electric Dreams, which sparked my teen-aged imagination in many ways–one of those ways leading to the beautiful topography of a newly-discovered Virginia. Giggles.

High Heaven #1 (AHOY): I&N Demand AHOY Comics rocked the world a couple of weeks ago with TheWrong Earth; and here’s Tom Peyer, this time teaming up with Greg Scott, ready to hit loftier heights with High Heaven. Hell, yeah!

Things are heating up around these parts! The unbearably hot and humid end of August means that work’s a week away. However, before I buckle under the oppressive temps of routine and responsibility, I’ve got to give this week’s I&N Demand books their requisite once over. So, here we go:

The New World #2 (Image): I&N Demand The New World is built upon a familiar foundation–it’s “a whole new world,” with “a new fantastic point of view”–with Aleš Kot’s singular perspective, itself an eclectic amalgam of vibrant and vital voices from across ages, genres and mediums. He’s the real deal; and I, for one, am, as always, excited to have the opportunity to turn the pages of his inimitable imagination–in this case, as brought to the page by Tradd and Heather Moore. The former’s lines are truly miracles of the medium: they flow and flow and flow, creating a sense of motion, which pushes the narrative pace; the latter’s colors complement perfectly the lines, adding significant depth to Tradd’s artwork and creating a new world worthy of exploration on each page, in each panel. Very much looking forward to learning how Kot’s kick-ass Stella–a Juliet by another name–deals with the way-chill Kirby, her “only love sprung by her only” having to hunt him the fuck down. Reality star-crossed lovers, indeed!

Scarlet #1 (DC)

Web of Venom: Ve’Nam #1 (Marvel)

Bone Parish #2 (BOOM!): I&N Demand Finally: the follow-up to the #1 hit from Bone Drugs-N-Harmony! (Hmm. Sounded better in my head. I mean, I 22 I&N 22-ed the thing to death and was waiting to drop this one-liner and– Know what? I blame those guys. Bunn and Scharf and Guimarães. Fuckers. Coming together to create this…this…addictive nightmare! Been fiending for this for, what, like a month. Feels like forever. Twisting. Haven’t been right in the head since. Turning. Gotta get to my dealer. Gotta go. Gotta get there. But. But what if he’s out? Fuck. What if he runs out? Goddamn it. I gotta run. I gotta

Hillbilly: Red-Eyed Witchery from Beyond #1 (Albatross): I&N Demand I loved Hillbilly #12! Loved. It. The final episode in Rondel’s epic journey was huge in scope, but Eric Powell crafted it in such a perfectly compact manner–delivering Hurrah!-worthy Homerian moments (“the last of [his] kind,” indeed!) and taking a wrench to Rondel’s heart–and to mine!–and twisting oh-so-cruelly. As much as it hurt in the end, we–Rondel and I–have got to cleave that all behind and move on–to more haggish mayhem!

A Walk Through Hell #4 (AfterShock): I&N Demand Garth Ennis is building something truly frightening here–and–in #3, in particular–he’s doing so through dialogue–the masterfully-crafted dialogue for which he is known. Few comic book writers can keep the tension up while ratcheting up the word count; but Ennis does it effortlessly. Goran Sudzuka’s subdued art–with taciturn gray and brown tones from colorist Ive Svorcina–allows the aforementioned tension to build; and by laying out every page differently, Sudzuka subtly emphasizes the complex nature of the plot as it continues to develop. I’m very much looking forward to getting to the bottom of this mystery–though I don’t mind the walk one bit–and can’t wait to get wrapped up in more of Ennis’s demonically-deliberate diealogue.

First, I’d like to share an important update: I’m all caught up! That’s right, I&Nmates: I’ve read everything–Every. Flippin’. Floppy. in my possession–including the procrastinative Calexit, issues #2 and #3, which were, in the end, not surprisingly, all right left.

Wow. I’ve killed the pile, and it feels good. You know what I’m talking about: nothing burdens a comic book nerd quite like being behind a week or a month with his or her reading.

With that load taken off of my desk–a white IKEA secretary for you I&N completists–I’m re-energized and ready to let ‘er rip–so here’s what’s I&N Store this week:

The New World #1 (Image): I&N Demand A few years ago, when we were still writing the good write, we celebrated Ales Kot as the writer of the moment: his voice was potent; it was poetry. He had us hearing things and experiencing things and thinking things in ways that were unexpected. Compared to the other solid books that populated the shelf and, ultimately, our bags, his books, particularly Zero, were just more. Speaking of more: one of the reasons I decided to return to writing about what I love is Kot’s own Days ofHate–specifically #5, the near-silent, explosively tri-ing narrative, presented perfectly by Danijel Zezelj and Jordie Bellaire–which has, through six issues, conducted in me the synaptic symphony to which I became addicted when I was deep into Zero–or, more so, when Zero was deep into me. Deeper still: as a self-proclaimed Always Kot-er, I will gleefully grab the 72-page initial offering of TheNew World–with art from the Lord of Lines, Tradd Moore–because when it comes to Kot, more is more and, damn, I’m ready to read, ready to explore.

Redneck #13 (Image)

Royal City #13 (Image)

Saga #54 (Image)

Action Comics #1001 (DC)

Doomsday Clock #6 (DC)

Amazing Spider-Man #2 (Marvel)

Bone Parish #1 (BOOM!): I&N Demand Cullen Bunn kicked my ass with his hell-raising run on Harrow County, issue for issue, the best regular monthly horror book of the last few years. After having said goodbye to Emmy and having left Harrow in good hands, Bunn’s back with Bone Parish, a drug-laced horror book that, interestingly enough, in a kind of ThePrestige vs. The Illusionist-style turf battle, seems to live in the same cemetery as Black Mask’s addictive Gravetrancers, which just so happens to be out this week, too! Now, that book is bonkers–story-wise and art-wise; and, in that, it’s a good time, man–yeah, it’s an effing trip. I’m pretty sure, however, that Bunn’s book–with art from Jonas Scharf–is going to be a bit tighter. Take the underappreciated Unsound, for example: Bunn got gleefully unhinged during that paper plate masquerade, yet the story still felt grounded–even when the ground was the ceiling! So, will I be comparing Bone Parish to Gravetrancers? Of course. Anyone who’s read the latter has an obligation to test the former–to see if it transcends its predecessor or if it falls flat. Hey: my bag ain’t no vacuum, after all: it’s some prime–and responsibly recycled–real estate; and these two death-drug lords, Bunn and Miller, will be throwing down–if only for this one day–to claim the turf. We’ll soon see who’s got the write stuff white stuff the goods and who’s got the betters.

Britannia: Lost Eagles of Rome #1 (Valiant)

Crossed+One Hundred: Mimic #4 (Avatar)

Gravetrancers #4 (Black Mask)

Hillbilly #12 (Albatross): I&N Demand It’s all led to this–every step, every story, every swing of Rondel’s cleaver: witches–lots and lots of witches–vs. the Iron Child and his newly-raised army. Eric Powell has taken us on quite a journey; with each issue and one into the next, he’s crafted an epic for the ages. I’ll be sad when it’s over, that’s for damn sure; but it ain’t over until the Hillbilly swings–one last time.

A Walk Through Hell #3 (Aftershock): I&N Demand During the terrifying stretch of road that was #2, Garth Ennis and Goran Sudzuka unloaded with the increasingly uncomfortable self-inflicted Passion of Huzikker, the suicidal centerpiece of a crazy spent-shell game of an issue. The never-ending barrage of bullets had me emotionally ducking for cover, had me silently begging for the poor guy to die–not unlike the response George Orwell demands with his revolutionary short piece “Shooting an Elephant.” (Why won’t the effing thing die already!) Another selling point, of course, is Ennis’s living anew in law enforcement. (This reads not unlike Red Team with a twist of dread–which would make this, wait for it, Dread Team.) No one cops cop speak like Ennis; yes, as always, his dialogue is to die for. And speaking of dying: I’m in no rush–and neither is Ennis, clearly; it is “a walk through hell,” after all. The terror he’s harnessed is born of the waiting and the wonder; so, yeah, let’s walk.

X-O Manowar #17 (Valiant)

Yay! A new pile! You know what I’m talking about: nothing excites a comic book nerd quite like having a new pile of comics on his or her desk.